Coach 1967 - 1991; Athletic Director 1973 - 1996
Ad Rutschman coached football for 24 seasons, baseball for 13 seasons and served as athletic director for 25 years. He is the first athletic director emeritus in the history of the college.
Rutschman's football teams won three NAIA Division II national championships, reached the postseason playoffs 13 times and won 15 conference titles. He retired from coaching football in 1991 with a career record of 183-48-3 (.788).
From 1971 to 1983, Rutschman coached the baseball program, leading the Wildcats to six conference championships and seven NAIA District 2 titles. In his first season as baseball coach, he guided Linfield to the NAIA national championship.
He is the only college coach at any level to have won national titles in both football and baseball. Three times, Rutschman was named Division II football coach of the year. He was honored as the state of Oregon's Slats Gill man of the year five times, more than any other individual. Rutschman was named to the NAIA Hall of Fame in 1988, the Oregon Sports Hall of Fame in 1993 and was enshrined into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1998.
During his 25-year tenure as athletic director, the college's sports facilities took major leaps forward. The spacious and modern athletic complex, including two new gymnasiums, a swimming pool and multi-purpose field house, was constructed, a new baseball stadium was erected and the tennis courts were relocated and expanded. Locker rooms were renovated and a consession stand and ticket booth was built. The field house, a 26,600-square foot multi-purpose facility completed in 1995, was named in honor of Rutschman and his wife, Joan, for their 27 years of service to the college. Rutschman continues to teach one course in physical education administration at the college and serves in a part-time capacity as the special assistant to the vice president of College Relations.
